Dominican Republic Travel Guide
2/13/2008 at 12:00 PM
Tags: Animals, Cockfights, Caribbean Travel, Sports Travel (all tags)
Cockfights are the kind of thing you can usually avoid, but if you're in the Dominican Republic, the matches might find you. The bouts may be gruesome, but they're a part of everyday life in much of the nation, especially in the countryside. And a handful of pro baseball players--including Pedro Martínez and Aramis Ramírez--controversially attend the fights when in their home country.
Cockfight clubs are the main venue for the sport, where seating galleries surround small rings with astroturf floors. The local style calls for plastic spikes to be attached to the birds' feet to increase the ferocity of the fight. After paying a small entry fee, be ready for lots of betting and lots of beer. Fights can go on for 15 minutes, or they can end quickly, either with death or the equivalent of a rooster TKO.
In the DR, the sport's legal and regulated by the National Commission of Cockfighting, and there are 1,500 venues throughout the country that hold certified fights. That said, it's definitely not for everyone.
Post-click, a well-done video tour of the cockfights.
Related Stories:
· Dominicans Say Cockfighting Is in Their Blood [NYT]
· Mess with the Bull, Get the Gore [Jaunted]
[Photo: Rebeca Argudo for The New York Times]
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by pbb
11/08/2007 at 11:30 AM
Tags: Tourism Boards, Tourism Board Travel, Tourism Marketing, Caribbean Travel (all tags)
Since JetBlue announced service to the Dominican Republic last month the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism wants to give travelers even more reasons to visit. Problem is, the agency's descriptions of the country's draws are a bit staid:
Year-round sports, effervescent nightlife, distinctive souvenir shopping, magnificent national parks and world class gambling make for a jam-packed vacation to do list.
We prefer the description from everyone's favorite conquerer, Christopher Columbus, who described this lush land as "a beautiful island paradise with high forested mountains and large river valleys."
Only thing is, he forgot to mention that these days you can haggle for mamajuana--a soothing elixir that's more legal than its similar-sounding counterpart--in the street markets of Santa Domingo. Sounds to us like something the tourism board should be hyping a bit more.
Related Stories:
· Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism [Official Site]
· JetBlue Expanding Caribbean Routes [Jaunted]
· Tourism Board Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: mdelcid]
by ced138
9/07/2007 at 11:30 AM
Tags: Eat-n-Sleep, Caribbean Travel (all tags)
Our Eat 'n Sleep feature profiles a restaurant in a random city and a hotel nearby. It's kinda like that old show "Dinner and a Movie" but you know, with restaurants and hotels. And better jokes.
The 2-million-strong city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic has one of those to-die-for climates: The average high year round is between 85 and 90 degrees. The Colonial Zone of the city is popular for visitors, and has plenty of good places to eat and sleep. But we like one place in particular.
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by amandak
7/12/2007 at 5:44 PM
Tags: Island-Travel-Map, Islands, Drugs, Family Travel (all tags)
Apparently the
Dominican Republic uses its 800 miles of stunning coastline for two things--tourist snorkeling and cocaine smuggling. For a small island Hispaniola sure does have quite a few airports--better to smuggle to the U.S. with my dearies. The most smuggled drug is cocaine, with a bit of heroin mixed in for good measure. The drugs destination? Big cities in the US. Looks like maybe drug runners dig DirecTV on JetBlue too.
That's really crazy, considering the New York Times dubbed the Dominican Repbulic the "Family Destination of the Year" in 2006. In defense of the Times, it is 2007.
The local drug control agency is currently "trying" to stop all the smuggling, but the Dominican Republic does not have radar to track incoming planes, and the Dominican Navy is short staffed. They do have eight Vietnam-era Huey helicopters, but they don't have night-vision capability--sort of an issue when most drug drops are made at night.
Somehow we don't think the family of four from Scarsdale will appreciate the abundance of drug trafficking going through the newest "Family Hot Spot", then again, what do we know about the suburbs.
Hmm, what to do. Hey, how 'bout this, when the media is referring to the Dominican Republic as an award winning family vacation spot they can call it the Dominican Republic and when the media wants to call the Dominican Republic out as a drug dealers paradise they can call it the Island of Hispaniola. Deal?
Getting There:
Flights to Santa Domingo (SDQ) from New York are around 3 hours and JetBlue flies direct.
Related Stories:
· Dominican Republic Hotels [HotelChatter]
· Drug Travel [Jaunted]
· Drug Flights [CNN]
[Photo: M Eriksson]
by markj
6/01/2007 at 10:42 AM
Tags: Caribbean, Travel Weddings (all tags)
It sounds so romantic, getting married on a Caribbean beach, a sun set backdrop, here and there a bird singing, the waves lapping at your feet. And your honeymoon can begin just seconds after you're officially married.
But are you officially married? A British couple who recently "got married" in the Dominican Republic are now unable to prove they're legally husband and wife because a resort clerk spelled their name wrong. On top of that, the travel agent (or someone--nobody wants to own up) lost the original marriage certificate. We reckon they should get a free holiday and a second go at getting married.
Related Stories:
· Dominican Republic Travel [Jaunted]
· Hotels in the Dominican Republic [HotelChatter]
· Beach Wedding Spells Disaster [UK Times]
[Photo: concep007]
by amandak
3/02/2007 at 9:04 AM
Tags: Hotels, Caribbean (all tags)
As the #1 Santo Domingo hotel on TripAdvisor, Hotel Atarazana has us interested. While
some photos posted by TripAdvisor members make the rooms seem a little less bright than official shots would indicate, that suspicion is offset by the top scores and rave reviews the place has been pulling in since it opened in late 2004. Santo Domingo isn't known for any sort of boutique hotel scene, but Hotel Atarazana fits the bill for travelers seeking small, personal and hip lodging in the Dominican Republic's capital.
This six-room guest house is run by dedicated hosts Susanna and Bernard--the latter a German architect who designed the place. A rooftop garden was completed over the summer and is ready for your vegetating pleasure. The chronically overheated will need to specifically request a room with air conditioning, as it's not yet installed in all the rooms. Everyone gets internet of some sort, though. If you forgo the sticky season and wait until next winter to book, there may be even more amenities to gush about. The place has clearly been built with
love.
Related Stories:·
Hotel Atarazana [Official Site]
·
Hotel Atarazana reviews [TripAdvisor]
·
JetBlue to Santo Domingo [Jaunted]
by djk
7/27/2006 at 7:33 PM
Tags: Movie Set Travel, Pastels (all tags)
Crockett and Tubbs are back--in the bods of Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, that is.
Miami Vice hits theatres today, and the two vice detectives risk glory and danger as "their respective personal and professional lives become dangerously intertwined". And they'll re-live the 80s in tight pastel t-shirts and white pants while all that danger stuff happens.
Contrary to what you might think, the majority of the movie was shot in places other than Miami. It ain't cheap to shoot scenes in large US cities, so much of the film was shot in the Dominican Republic. In that vein, we offer you some fun things to do in the D.R.:
Where To Stay:
Casa Colonial Beach & Spa
Chill Crockett-style and impress your lady at this ritzy resort. This exotic North Coast hotel sets a "colonial chic" vibe and features 13 private spa facilities and two gourmet restaurants. Check out the Presidential--or Presidente--Suite for bonus luxury.
Where To Eat:
Castle Club
Indulge your royal tendencies and head up to this private home-turned-castle, where you will have to tackle a rocky driveway to sample a prixe fixe meal in a very cool setting. You'll get a tour of the art collection of the owner's wife, and can enjoy an after-dinner drink in the Great Room when you're done.
Where To Get Tan:
Playa Cabarete
Strong winds make this beach a good place for windsurfing, and the length (28 miles) makes it great for walks. Ignore the hawkers selling cheap trickets, and head for the mini-beach bars (mostly run by ex-pats) for an afternoon refresher.
by sedona
10/26/2005 at 11:02 AM
Tags: Deals (all tags)
Owned by Julio Iglesias and Oscar de la Renta, the
Puntacana Resort and Club is pretty swank. It's got 105 acres of gardens and 3 miles of beach. All the rooms have frette linens (ah...) and they've got beach and jungle villas to choose from. The resort also has a mineral bath on site.
The Time alerts us to an awesome deal they're having also. For $85 per person/night you get a deluxe room with a balcony, breakfast and dinner and a handy $100 credit for alcohol. Just don't be lounging around in your gym clothes, we're sure that would piss Oscar off...
Related Stories:
· Deals and Discounts: A Celebrity Getaway [NY Times]
by sedona
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